New Grendel AR Build

[wags68]

Nice shooting!

Thank you. I was very surprised with the results.

[Dcommoncents]

Awesome, glad to see it's running so well!

[wags68]

Thanks, DC! Hoping to get to the range again this weekend to stretch her out to distance. Have 1,200 yards available, but optics are going to limit me to 500 with the reticle BDC. I will report back with results.

[Dcommoncents]

Jealous of the distance. Is 500 the farthest you can go with the reticle and turret adjustments, or reticle alone with a hundred or so yard zero?

[wags68]

500 is the limit with just the reticle. The 1-8 Strike Eagle has BDC hash marks. Playing with the Vortex balistics calc and Hornady Black 123gr data, the hashes line up pretty well for the 65G with 100yd zero on the center dot. Here is a link to the vortex reticle:

http://www.vortexoptics.com/uploads/ret_strikeeagle_1-8x24_ar-bdc2_moa_web-subten.jpg

Each hash mark below the center dot works out to about 100 yd increments. So the center dot is 100yd zero, first hash is 204 yds, second is 302 yds, third is 403 yds, last is 517 yds.

[zcostilla]

Nice setup Wags68. Still acquiring parts for my first Grendel, but we have similar tastes. I bought the 18” BCA barrel on Cyber Monday, my lower also has the fixed MOE stock, drop in trigger (TriggerTech) and I just took off my ergo grip for the hogue (traded my son). For me the Hoague has a better fit because the larger palm swell fits my hand better.

How well does that BAD bolt release work? I’m not getting into 3-gun, but my son is setting up his 16” AR (5.56) for some tactical drills and that lever might make another good Christmas gift.

[Sticks]

I've been running a BAD lever on both my 5.56 rifles since 2010 (11k rounds ago). Lot of people tried to warn me off them, since they can cause stoppages, but I have yet to have one.

I took 3, two day training classes and in the first one, the instructor was drilling us on how not to use all that ambi shit (BAD lever, Ambi mag release), then the next day, having us shoot support side, and transitions.

I love it. My GF Daughters have been going shooting with me, and I had to put a Luth MBA3 and a new FCG in my carbine lower so they could have the shorter LOP than the PRS was giving them. Where they were comfortable, you could not pull the charging handle back without sliding the stock back, and after 15 rounds of 6, not one failure lo lock back, stoppage, or any other issues with 2 little persons with exactly that much experience behind an AR.

I would recommend that a person gets proficient with using the AR15 as designed before a person puts on that type of accessory.

IMO - the best gift you can get him is send him to a training class.

[wags68]

I would recommend that a person gets proficient with using the AR15 as designed before a person puts on that type of accessory.

This!

I really like the BAD lever, I can control everything with my trigger finger without having to break my grip. However, I would make sure that you are proficient with the rifle before going with a BAD lever.

[Dcommoncents]

How well does that BAD bolt release work? I’m not getting into 3-gun, but my son is setting up his 16” AR (5.56) for some tactical drills and that lever might make another good Christmas gift.

I have one and, although I am generally opposed to hanging more crap on ARs, rather like it. I never found releasing the bolt to start a fresh magazine too slow with the ping pong paddle, but the bad lever is much faster. The ability to lock the bolt open with my left hand on the charging handle and right on the pistol grip is even more useful. My one concern is that I only have a bad lever on one of my lowers, so I have to repeatedly remind myself which lower I am shooting and which manual of arms applies, which could obviously be a problem in high stress/little time situations. As such I think it would be best to go all or nothing with the bad lever, I just haven't decided which route I want to go with my lowers.

[Sticks]

I have one and, although I am generally opposed to hanging more crap on ARs, rather like it. I never found releasing the bolt to start a fresh magazine too slow with the ping pong paddle, but the bad lever is much faster...

This is part of that training that I was talking about. If the BAD lever is faster than inserting a mag with the left and and pressing the bolt release with your left thumb milliseconds after the mag catch locks in, then I'd be impressed.

Locking the bolt open however, there is no comparison. If it's sole purpose was that, it is enough.

[Dcommoncents]

This is part of that training that I was talking about. If the BAD lever is faster than inserting a mag with the left and and pressing the bolt release with your left thumb milliseconds after the mag catch locks in, then I'd be impressed.

Locking the bolt open however, there is no comparison. If it's sole purpose was that, it is enough.

I guess "faster" isn't the right word. Really, the advantage to me is that my left hand can focus exclusively on getting the magazine fully seated and go straight back to support hand duties. Otherwise, I have to either modify my grip on the magazine so that my thumb is free to hit the release, which I think increases the chance of a bad reload, or take the extra step of releasing the magazine and rotating my thumb up to hit the release. In sum, I can reload plenty fast either way, but it's the added confidence when seating the magazine and economy of motion in returning to a firing position that makes the BAD lever's bolt release function appealing to me. But yes, and perhaps ironically since it isn't really marketed with an emphasis on the bolt hold open feature, that is the best feature of the BAD lever.